6 Your Prep Sports Area Volleyball Players to Watch this Season
Ryan Murken
Your Prep Sports
A three-month whirlwind that is the high school volleyball season in Iowa is right around the corner.
The season officially opens with the first day of practice on Monday, the first matches of the season are two weeks later on August 23 and the season concludes with the state tournament at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse in Cedar Rapids from November 1-4.
Your Prep Sports will have more stories during preseason practices, cover regular season matches and be there to breakdown the postseason but before that we take a look at six area players to keep an eye on as the season gets rolling in the coming weeks.
Cassidy Hartman
Junior, Liberty High
Among the top returning players in the state Hartman is coming off a breakthrough sophomore campaign in which she staked her claim as one of the most dangerous hitters in Iowa.
The 6-foot Hartman was Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division player of the year and an elite all-state pick a year ago after ranking fourth in 5A with 4.4 kills per set and third with a .360 hitting efficiency.
Hartman had 70 kills in three state tournament matches, including a career-high 35 in a five-set semifinal win over West Des Moines Dowling, on her way to leading Liberty High with 339 kills.
She also had a team-high 34 ace serves and ranked second on the team with 223 digs while adding 32 blocks.
Shelby Kimm
Junior, Liberty High
The other half of one of the top returning duos in the state along with Hartman, Kimm is coming off her own impressive sophomore season that solidified her status as one of the state’s elite players.
Kimm earned second-team Class 5A all-state honors last season from the Iowa Girls Coaches Association after ranking second on the team with 194 kills and leading the Lightning with 55 blocks.
The 5-foot-11 Kimm had 15 kills in the 5A state title match against Ankeny and finished the season with a .281 hitting efficiency and 24 ace serves.
Calia Clubb
Senior, Clear Creek Amana
Already one of the most productive players in Clear Creek Amana history Clubb is seeking to close a brilliant career with her best season yet.
An Illinois State recruit, Clubb has led the Clippers in kills each of the past three seasons after hammering a team-high 243 kills last season.
A two-time unanimous first team all-WAMAC West Division, Clubb was a Class 4A honorable mention all-state pick last season when she ranked second on the team with 226 digs and third with 28 ace serves while leading Clear Creek Amana to a 25-6 record.
Makayla Ribble
Senior, City High
On a long list of City High returning starters none have more experience than Ribble who enters her fourth season in the Little Hawk lineup.
The leader of the Little Hawk attack, Ribble enters her senior season already with 1,220 career assists and coming off her best season as a prep.
Ribble ranked fourth in Class 5A with 9.7 assists per set last season while earning second team all-Mississippi Valley Conference Mississippi Division honors.
The 5-foot-7 Ribble ranked second on the team with 180 digs, 26 ace serves and 17 blocks last season and added 55 kills.
Katherine Kouba
Senior, West High
A starter since her freshman season Kouba has established herself as one of the top back row players in the state while leading West High in digs each of the past three seasons.
Kouba led the Women of Troy with 289 digs as a freshman was 16th in Class 5A with 336 digs as a sophomore and had a team-high 238 digs last season while helping West High to a 13-15 record.
The 5-foot-6 Kouba was an honorable mention MVC Valley Division pick last season after adding 14 ace serves in 18 matches.
Lexi Klinkkammer
Senior, West Branch
A front-row force for the past three seasons Klinkkammer will look to end her career with an impressive senior season.
Klinkkammer has ranked second on the team in kills each of the past three seasons while collecting 655 kills during her career.
The 5-foot-8 Klinkkammer had 191 kills, 138 digs, 18 blocks and led the Bears with 44 ace serves last season while being named to the River Valley Conference South Division team.
Did you enjoy this subscription free article? Help keep Your Prep Sports free by donating.